The present invention relates in general to the tubes used in hydrocarbon reforming processes and particularly to processes wherein a hydrocarbon is reformed to obtain hydrogen.
The production of hydrogen from natural gas and other hydrocarbons is well known in the art. Generally, natural gas, such as methane, or other hydrocarbons, and water in the form of steam, are combined in a series of chemical reactions to produce hydrogen in a catalyst-filled tube. The following two chemical reactions are the principal reactions involved in the process:
Reforming Reaction EQU CH.sub.4 +H.sub.2 O .revreaction. CO+3H.sub.2 -97,000 Btu/mole
Shift Reaction EQU CO+H.sub.2 O .revreaction. CO.sub.2 +H.sub.2 +16,500 Btu/mole
The field of the present invention relates to the heating surface of catalyst tubes in steam reforming heaters commonly used in ammonia and hydrogen plants to produce hydrogen. The preferred embodiment of this invention comprises integral radiant-convection reformer tubes.